Fourteen Facts about Saturn

Fact One

Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System after
Jupiter. It is so big that Earth could fit into it 755 times.

Fact Two

Saturn is a slightly smaller version of
Jupiter, with similar, but less distinctive, surface patterns.
Like Jupiter, it is mostly made up of hydrogen and
helium gas. Saturn's main difference to Jupiter is the amazing
set of rings that orbit it.

Fact Three

Saturn's rings may be particles of an old moon orbiting the planet, smashed apart in a collision millions years ago.

Fact Four

Saturn's rings orbit the planet at different tilts. Sometimes, they can appear like 'ears' sticking out of the planet. At other times, they are flat on when seen from
Earth and are hardly visible. This shows how thin they can be.

Fact Five

It is believed that Saturn's rings will one day disappear. They will either disperse (spread out) into space or get sucked into the planet by its pull of gravity. This isn't likely to happen anytime soon, more than
likely occurring in ten of millions of years time.

Fact Six

Despite its similarities to Jupiter, there is no
great spot on Saturn, although the planet does have stormy weather.

Fact Nine

Fact Ten

It is thought that Titan's atmosphere is so thick, and its gravity so weak, that humans beings could strap on a set of
wings and fly through its skies. Of course, it's too cold to survive there but
it's an interesting thought!

Fact Eleven

The first sounds to be recorded from any other world in the solar system were recorded from Saturn's moon
Titan by the Huygens space
probe in 2005.

Fact Twelve

Saturn has such a low density (meaning that its particles are far apart) that, if there was an ocean big enough, Saturn would float on it. In comparison,
Earth and Mercury would sink to the bottom quickest.

Fact Thirteen

A year on Saturn would take almost thirty
Earth years. However, a day on Saturn is about 10 and a half hours.

Fact Fourteen

If Earth had rings than spanned as far out as
Saturn's, they would reach about three quarters of the way to the
Moon.

Voyager 1 (USA, 1977), Voyager 2 (USA, 1977), Galileo (USA, 1989), Ulysses (USA/Europe, 1990), Cassini-Huygens (USA/Europe/Italy, 1997).
Note that although these are still active missions, all apart from
Cassini-Huygens have long since past by Saturn and are at other locations in the Solar System.